Warming Winter Cocktails

Tired of the usual mulled wine at Christmas? Warm up your festive drinks this year and try some tea infused festive drink creations! Here are three warming drinks that will bring comfort to the chilly nights ahead.  

Black Tea Hot Toddy

We’ve all tried mulled wine, but how about mulled tea or a hot tea toddy?  The word “toddy” is believed to derive from Hindi or Sanskrit. So no better a drink to make with Indian black tea. To make enough for 2 people, you’ll need:

• 500ml of filtered water
• 10g of Karma New Day Assam tea
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 50-80ml of rum
• 1 lemon wedge
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 2 star anise pods

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over a medium heat. Once it’s starting to boil, remove from the heat. Add the spices and the tea leaves. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Return the saucepan to the heat, then stir in the honey. Heat gently stirring occasionally, until the honey has been incorporated. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve in a large bowl. Discard the spices. Divide among two glass mugs and top off each with approx. 40ml of rum (optional).  Garnish with a cinnamon stick and the lemon wedges.  Serve warm.

Mulled Hibiscus

Tart, bright red hibiscus makes a festive winter drink that’s full of cheer.  Fruity flavours like hibiscus pair particularly well with spices like cinnamon and cloves.  To make approx. 500ml (for 2 people) you'll need:

• 10g of Karma Tea hibiscus flowers
• Approximately 10 cloves
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)
• 2 slices of orange
• 500 ml filtered boiling water

Combine the hibiscus, cloves and sugar in your teapot and pour over the boiling water. Snap a whole cinnamon stick in half to open up the flavour and add to the pot. Leave it to sit for at least 5 minutes. Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh infuser into two glasses; discard the hibiscus and spices. Add the slice of orange to add an extra layer of taste.

Spiced Chai Old Fashioned

In this warming winter drink the classic Old Fashioned, one of the oldest cocktails ever created, gets a fresh chai twist.  To make, start by infusing approx. 20g of Karma Kolkata Chai per 70cl of Bourbon. Leave to sit for about 2 hours. Put 1 lump of sugar into a glass, and add a dash of Angostura bitters, then a short splash of water. Crush the sugar with a wooden muddler. Add a large ice cube and pour in 60ml of chai infused bourbon. Garnish with an orange twist and serve.